Taste Alberta: Looking ahead to pork’s next hit: jowls

Pork jowls, left, are gradually gaining a favoured spot in the menus of meat-loving gourmets.

Photograph by: Robert J. Galbraith
, Postmedia News

EDMONTON - Some languages are undeniably beautiful. Take Italian, mother tongue of one of the world’s great food nations. Not surprising that a culinary term perhaps mildly distasteful in English rolls off the tongue so splendidly in Italian.

Guiseppe Mazzocchi, chef at the newly opened Massimo’s Cucina Italiana describes guanciale as “tasty — very tasty, close to pancetta.”

And from Daniel Costa of Corso 32, “It’s beautiful, delicious and delicate.”

That’s fantastic imagery for the carnivorous foodie. Keep it in mind for the English translation: pork jowl.

In a field rich with elegant terms like velouté, carmelize and saffron, the word “jowl” is arguably not the most appetizing — conjuring up images of flapping flesh and multiple chins. But guanciale by any other name may be just as tasty.

Costa, owner and chef of Corso 32 (10345 Jasper Ave., 780-421-4622; corso32.com) says, “Jowl is not the most pleasant word, that’s for sure.” But, he argues, “If you think about it, what’s the difference between eating a cheek and eating the leg?”

Call it jowl or guanciale, whatever language is spoken in the kitchen, chefs are singing its praises — meaning it’s likely to make more appearances on Alberta menus.

David Omar, executive chef of Zinc at the Art Gallery of Alberta (2 Sir Winston Churchill Square, 780-392-2501 zincrestaurant.ca), sweetens the image by saying pork jowl is “almost like the puff pastry of meat.” He adds calling the cut “jowl bacon” can help customers get a better sense of what they are about to enjoy.

Jowl can be used similarly to its better-known cousin. “You can cure it or smoke it, like you would with bacon,” says Omar. Zinc prepares its own bacon in-house, and Omar envisions the same for pork jowl that could grace a clubhouse sandwich or star in an appetizer. “If you place it on the menu in an accessible way, then people can try it.”

At Corso 32, jowl that is cured but not smoked becomes guanciale. “The appeal is when eating guanciale, there is a very pure pork flavour,” Costa says. And as a chef, he revels in the process of beginning with a whole animal and working through the various cuts, finding uses for every part.

Costa’s customers have proven themselves receptive to all manners of meat. He says guanciale traditionally makes an appearance in dishes like carbonara or tonnarelli alla gricia. The latter sees guanciale accompanied simply by black pepper and pecorino cheese.

Costa adds this is a staple ingredient in Rome and Umbria. In Italy, it is often cooked into deliciously crispy cubes. With Massimo’s Cucina Italiana (5012 104A St., 780-439-4869; massimoscucina.ca), Guiseppe Mazzocchi’s respect for tradition shines through as he talks of guanciale treated as the forefathers did it: “In the morning, people working in the fields needed a robust breakfast.”

To that end, he describes guanciale cut in thick slices and fried much like bacon, then served with eggs and pecorino cheese in a frittata.

Other popular applications to highlight pork jowl harken back to the old days of Tuscany. “We have to consider it a winter food, for comfort,” says Mazzocchi.

The fat content helps infuse leaner meats with flavour, making guinea fowl or pheasant juicer. Mazzocchi suggests slicing the guanciale thin and wrapping it around prawns, then baking the bundles in the oven and serving over a cannellini bean puree.

And one of the most common uses for guanciale is in a sauce. Teresa Spinelli’s favourite sauce traditionally calls for pork jowl and is called amatriciana. She says, “If you can’t get pork jowl, you can use pancetta, but pork jowl makes it much better. That’s traditional.”

This heritage food of Europe is getting a new life as North Americans re-embrace nose-to-tail eating. Spinelli notes while Europeans customarily use the entire animal, pork jowl only recently started finding favour among Edmonton shoppers. “About a year ago, we noticed a demand for it,” she says.

Pork jowl is now available at both the Little Italy and south-side locations of the Italian Centre Shop (10878 95th St., 780-424-4869, and 5028 104A St., 780-989-4869; italiancentre.ca). It will be at the west end location too, set to open in May.

Chef Omar notes it has also become popular in the southern U.S., partnered with components like beans, greens and cream. He recommends elements of acidity to balance out the fat content: “Tomato, lemon, wine, apple, vinegars.”

The team at Zinc is planning to incorporate pork jowl into their summer menu, launching during the first week of May. Omar laughs when asked if jowl is the next pork trend, on the heels so to speak of the bacon craze and pork belly’s popularity: “We were just talking about it when you called.”

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt, add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until 2 minutes before “al dente.” Drain, save 1 cup (250 mL) of pasta cooking water.

Add drained pasta to sauce in skillet and toss vigorously with tongs to blend. Add 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the reserved pasta water and cook until sauce coats pasta and pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. Add more pasta water if sauce turns too thick.

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